Bengaluru suffers waterlogging, traffic snarl after heavy rain, declares holiday for schools

Bengaluru Sarjapur Road flooded on Monday.

Bengaluru woke up to severe water-logging and traffic congestion on October 21 following heavy rainfall.

The deputy commissioner of Bengaluru Urban District declared a holiday for schools and anganwadis. A statement issued by the Karnataka government on Monday morning stated that G Jagadeesh issued a verbal order and an official notification will be issued soon.

"Due to continuous rain in Bengaluru Urban district, a holiday has been declared on October 21 for all anganwadi centers, as well as private and aided primary and high schools, as a precautionary measure in the interest of students," the statement said.

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However, all colleges offering degree, postgraduate, diploma, engineering, and ITI courses will remain open, and no holiday has been declared for these institutions.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) Bengaluru has issued an 'orange alert' for heavy rains over the next three hours across Bengaluru. According to the IMD, moderate to heavy rain and thundershowers, accompanied by lightning, are likely in the coming hours. IMD said Bengaluru received 62 mm of rain in 24 hours till 8:30am on October 21.

The decision has, however, created confusion among parents and students as many school buses had operated before the announcement. Many parents said their children had left for school before the announcement was made. Some private schools had opted for online classes, anticipating the rainfall.  Shwetha H, a parent wrote on X: "Very bad management from both government and schools. All kids went to school now came back". However, state government officials said they received Met department's Orange alert only at 6:45am on October 21.

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Jagadeesh said that the decision was made urgently, which is why the order was given verbally. He said that an official order will be issued soon. "General instructions have been issued to the heads of colleges and relevant authorities to prioritise safety during lectures. Buildings that are weak or dilapidated should not be used for classes. College heads should inspect the condition of their buildings and take necessary measures to prevent accidents," the statement said.

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"To compensate for the lost learning time due to the holiday, extra classes will be held on Saturday afternoons or Sundays. Parents and college authorities should also ensure that students avoid low-lying areas prone to waterlogging and that the vehicles used by students are safe. The district collector further advised that students be informed about how to respond to natural calamities in the colleges," the statement adds.

Motorists reported heavy waterlogging on tech corridors like Outer Ring Road and Sarjapur Road. While there is a growing demand for work-from-home arrangements for techies, the state government has not yet issued an official advisory.

Traffic police said areas such as Bannerghatta Road, Jayanagar, Hosur Road, and Madiwala are also experiencing waterlogging.  Several underpasses have witnessed heavy flooding as well. Traffic police has urged motorists to use alternate routes due to waterlogging at Panathur railway underpass.

Also, read: Bengaluru rains: Karnataka govt issues work-from-home advisory to IT-BT, pvt companies for Oct 16